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Henry Townsend
13 July 2006 More...
Review of Boogie Woogie Pioneers
13 July 2006 More...
Review of Lil' Son Jackson Vol. 1
13 July 2006 More...
Review of Big Maceo Volumes 1 & 2
13 July 2006 More...
Review of What Is The Soul Of Man Remix
13 July 2006 More...
Review of Broadcasting the Blues Compiled by Paul Oliver
13 July 2006 More...
Review of Lil' Son Jackson Volume 1 Rockin' and Rollin'
13 July 2006 More...
Review of Blues, Blues by David "Honey Boy" Edwards
13 July 2006 More...
Cross Rhythms review of What Is The Soul Of Man
13 July 2006 More...
Vaughn De Leath CDs
13 July 2006 More...
31 to 40 of 89

Blues Art review of David Honeyboy Edwards Blues, blues

It has become fashionable in some blues circles to knock ‘Honeyboy’ Edwards (sorry, that’s how I have always written it), making the criticism that he is famous either solely for those with whom he has associated (Charley Patton, Robert Johnson etc), or because he has survived so long and outlived the competition. This CD, originally issued on the Austrian label Roots and never very easy to find, was recorded in Vienna in 1975 and it certainly proves that he is a fine artist in his own right – though not in the premier rank of blues artists.

Honeyboy is captured solo in the studio for these recordings at the end of his winter tour, at the age of sixty. He plays a little rack harmonica on several numbers, but mostly this is Edwards the Delta bluesman, confident vocalist and down home guitarist on a programme of varied Mississippi blues, and with ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ the only Robert Johnson number in his repertoire for this session. Yes, his style is derivative, but surely that is an integral part of the Blues tradition he represents, one he did indeed learn first-hand. Agreed, this may not be the most dynamic performance there is, but this is a genuine Mississippi born and raised bluesman playing the music he grew up with. As such, it is an important document (pun intended).